Toilet tank lever



NOV. 17, 1936. KLElSER' JR 2,061,310

TOILET TANK LEVER Filed Sept. '7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor AHome};

/ I [III/III III II Ill/I I4 I NOV. 17, 1936. KLElSER JR 2,061,310

TOILET' TANK LEVER Filed Sept. '7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenlo;

fiawaolizm A llomey Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIEE 4Claims.

My invention relates generally to a toilet tank, and particularly to atoilet tank of the type having a flushing valve controlled by a leveractuated by electrical means, and an important object of the inventionis to provide an arrangement of this character which is electrically andmechanically efiicient.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means foreliminating the corrosion, breakage, and excessive wear which isincidental to ordinary manual tank levers of this class.

Another important object of my invention is to provide an arrangement ofthe character indicated above whereby the flush valve is more stronglyyet removably supported on the tank while being more efficiently andreliably operated with less trouble to the operator.

Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from a readingof the following description in connection with the drawings, whereinfor purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of myinvention.

In the drawingsz- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a closet tankhaving the wall thereof broken away to disclose the electricallyoperated tank lever and flush Valve.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view showing the electricalarrangement.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 3approximately on the line 4-4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designatesa toilet flush tank or the like which includes the removable top 6, theflush valve seat I, and the pipe 8 connected thereto which leads to thetoilet bowl or the like.

The present invention eliminates the extension of the tank lever throughthe side of the tank and the usual handle or chain which is used tooperate the same, the entire arrangement being confined within the tank.

Referring in detail to the drawings, particularly Figure 2, the numeral9 generally designates one of the interior walls of the tank 5 to whichis attached by attaching means [0 an upwardly extending ear II on thecylindrical brass or other suitable material casing 12 which has theclosed bottom l3 and contains a solenoid coil I 4 which rests on aninsulating washer [5 which is disposed between the bottom of'the coiland the bottom l3 of the container l2. Resting upon the upper end of thecoil I4 is a dielectric washer I6 which also acts as a closure for thetop of the container; and

acts as a support for the upper end of the insulating sleeve H which isinserted in the opening thereof and has its lower end resting on thebottom of the casing and traversing a similar concentrically alignedopening in the washer l5. 5 The leads l8 from the solenoid coil traversethe side of the casing and connect with a switch l9 on the exterior ofthe tank 5. Ihe switch is preferably of push button form located withinconvenient reach of the operator. switch will be connected to a suitablesource of electrical energy (not shown), whereby the solenoid coil Mwill be energized upon pressing the push button or otherwise operatingthe switch.

The fastening means If] comprises the head 35 which lies against theouter side of the wall 9 and has projections 36 which dig into the walland prevent the head from turning. The projections 36 also serve toprevent rotation of the head 35 relative to the square shank (all whichtraverses the wall 9 in a conforming opening.

The inner end of the shank 31 is fastened to the ear II on the casingI2. Both the shank 31 and the ear I l have abase extending therethroughwhich receives the bolt 38 which has one end fastened to the head 35 andits opposite end extending inwardly beyond the ear I l and equipped witha washer 39 and a clamping nut 40.

The described fastening means It) not only positively prevents unwantedrotation or swinging of the casing l2, but provides a strong mountingfor the casing I2 and the mechanism which it supports, besidespreventing working loose of the parts which would permit misalignment ofthe parts and fracturing of the enamel usually covering closet tanks. Inaddition the head 35 adds to the appearance of the tank while hiding thehole in the tank wall through which the shank 31 passes. 40

Removably mounted on one side of the upper part of the casing l2 byremovable fastening means 20 is the pivot bracket 2! which is preferablyof brass or other suitable material in the form of a flat bar the upperpart of which is bent at right angles as indicated by the numeral 22 andprovided with a pivot hole 23 which receives a cotter pin 24 which formsthe pivot for the horizontal lever 25.

The cotter pin pivot 24 traverses the lever 25 near its right hand endwhich extends over the solenoid magnet and has depending therefrom thelaminated solenoid core 26 which slides in the insulating sleeve I1 andis pivotally attached to the right hand. end of the lever 25 by aU-shaped Of course, the 10 I link 21 which has inwardly bent endspivotally engaging holes in opposite sides of the core as illustrated inFigures 2 and 4.

The opposite or left hand end of the lever 25 has a number of holes 28therein with any one of which is adapted to be engaged the upper end ofthe operating link 29 which has an eye on its lower end engaged withanother eye as indicated by the numeral 30 whereby a flexible connectionis made with the shank 3! on the compressible material valve 32 whichnormally seats in the valve seat I l as illustrated in Figure 1 andretains the water within the tank 5. The shank 3| works through a guide33 on the side of the tank.

By means of the arrangements described, energization of the solenoidcoil 14 by operation of the switch I9 will cause the core 26 to be drawndownwardly into the solenoid and thereby tip up the left hand end'of thelever 25 and exert the necessary upward pull on the operating link 29 todraw the valve 32 upwardly and cause the Water in the tank 5 to emptyinto the pipe 8 for flushing purposes.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire tolimit the application of the invention thereto, and any change orchanges may be made in the materials, and in the structure andarrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a toilet flush tank or the like having a verticalwall and a bottom, said bottom containing a flush valve seat, a casingattached to the wall, a flush valve normally seating on said valve seat,a lever having operative connection to said flush valve, and electricalmeans supported by said casing for operating said lever to open theflush valve, said casing having a lateral squared shank fitting in asquared hole in the wall of the tank, and means engaging said shank andthe tank and holding said shank in place.

2. In a toilet tank having electrically operated flush valve mechanism,said mechanism including a. solenoid, a casing holding said solenoid,said casing having a single laterally extending shank on its sidearranged to traverse the side of the tank for supporting the casingrelative to the tank, and means engaging said wall of the tank and saidshank, said means being arranged to fasten said shank and preventrotation of said casing relative to said tank.

3. In a toilet tank having a side wall, a vertical casing mounted on theside wall of the tank, a vertical solenoid magnet having its bottom andsides enclosed by said casing, a horizontal lever fulcrumed on the topof said casing and provided at its outer end with toilet tank valveoperating means, and a solenoid core operatively depending from theinward end of said lever and working in said solenoid.

4. In combination with a toilet flush tank or the like having a verticalwall and a bottom, said bottom containing a flush valve seat, a casingattached to the wall, a flush valve normally seating on said valve seat,a lever having operative connection to said flush valve, and electricalmeans supported by said casing for operating said lever to open theflush valve, said casing having a lateral squared shank fitting in asquare hole in the wall of the tank, and means engaging said shank andthe tank and holding said shank in place, said shank being tubular, andsaid means comprising a bolt passing through the bore of said shank,said bolt having a portion engaging the exterior of said wall of thetank.

EMIL H. KLEISER, JR.

